The Lay of Gaiara & Shakata
by Rohar
Summary: A lay from the personal & ancestoral history of my character, the Plainsdweller Rohar


"Hail Now ! I am Rohar, and I will sing you a tale of my family, of my younger days, and of the bright mare Gaiara, my rose peach dam, with a grass green mane and trial and tribulations that beset her"  
  
Years before I was born, when my dam Gaiara was still following the old traditions of the plains, she met a stallion called Shakata. He seemed charming and good-natured, and she fell in love with him and on one night, they danced the longdance together, and she became in foal with his get. Whether his manner to her was deceptive, cunningly planned to draw a trusting, good-natured mare in to his trap or something within him changed, my family know not, although I would think the former. As Gaiara's pregnancy progressed, Shakata came very possessive and controlling of her indeed, and his manner to her, once so honeyed now became threatening and hurtful. She was a capable warrior of course, and tried to stand up for herself, but he had friends high within my family's herd and used threats to subdue and dominate her. Her sisters noticed her unhappiness and her lonely, depressed manner, but for the most part Gaiara kept quiet, only confiding in Tapiti, my eldest aunt of her troubles, and biding her to keep her dark secret quiet. When the foal - my youngest half brother, five years older than I, was born, Shakata began making threats of taking him away from her and Gaiara became terrified for her and her foal's safety. Finally, when the foal was weaned, Tapiti came upon one such confrontation, in which he became violent and together they drove him off, and which the aid of her other sisters, went to the leader of the herd, and their combined evidence of his treachery was enough for the herd leader to agree to side with them, in a final confrontation in which Shakata was banished from the herd."  
  
"Though banished from the herd, Shakata's cruel treatment of my dam had told heavily on her self-confidence and respect. Once so sociable and full of life, she faded from herd life, and her thoughts were terrified that Shakata might attempt reprisals against her. Wanting to try and forget what happened and also for my young half-brothers safety, she never told him anything of his sire. Her feelings and heart were emotionally burned by her experience with Shakata, she was afraid to try and develop any other relationships with any of the stallions of the herd for fear of further hurt and pain. Many seasons passed with her being reclusive and withdrawn, until one day, hoping to encourage her to find love and affection once more, Tapiti and her sisters introduced her to a close friend of theirs, Mafelu who had professed an interest in her. Their relationship was hesitant at first, but slowly after he assured her that he had heard of her troubles from her sisters and would never dream of hurting her, their love for each other grew increasingly strong, and deciding she wanted something more than the passing, often fleeting relationships of the plain, she confessed her feelings to him, and they pledged, and their life-partnership was sealed when she become pregnant, and later she gave birth to me."  
  
"Gaiara was happy with Mafelu, and in the special bond of closeness she felt to me as the child of her life-partnership, and finally she forgot those dark, past days when she was subject to the bullying and emotional abuse of Shakata. Unfortunately, those earlier fears of hers were to prove correct, for after disappearing from the scene after being banished. He finally re-appeared, intent on avenging his expulsion from the herd by Gaiara and her sisters. He was aware that Gaiara, Mafelu and my aunts were far too wary for any direct action against her to succeed, so carefully he laid his plans. He had some minions that he had persuaded to join him during his time away, and he directed them to keep a careful watch on Gaiara and Mafelu, and of course they reported back to him that she had a new foal. When Shakata saw for himself how close and precious I was to Gaiara, he ordered his minions to watch me, hoping for an opportunity to kidnap me so he could hold her to emotional ransom. For a while, I was too well watched over for any attempt to succeed, but then one day, together with some of my cousins, we strayed a little far and his minions seized the chance, charging at us and scattering us. Hoping to throw them off, we split up, but they were solely focused on me. Young as I was, I could not escape from them and they soon caught me, taking me back to Shakata's hideout."  
  
  
  
"The time I spent imprisoned in Shakata's hideout, though it was not much more than a couple of days or so, was the darkest and most frightening experience of my life. I have never meant a more chilling and cruel character as him in my life, even his minions were afraid and wary of him. Jealous and resentful of the fact that I was Mafelu's offspring rather than his, and so precious to Gaiara, Shakata decided to starve me. I wasn't weaned off my dam's milk of course, but he took no chances, nipping me harshly or kicking me if I dared even touch so much as a blade of grass. For two days, he kept me like that, gloating about how Gaiara might be suffering and worrying about me in my absence. Finally, he sent one of his minions out to Gaiara, telling her to come alone to his hideout to hear his terms for my return to her. Tapiti and Mafelu advised her not to go until a plan could be worked out, but frantic for my safety and well-being, after they had left her alone, she quietly slipped out of herd territory and headed across towards Shakata's hideout. Luckily Tapiti came back, for one last check on her, and was just in time to see her heading off into the distance. Realising that she was unlikely to be able to catch Gaiara up and persuade her to turn back, Tapiti alerted Mafelu, and he set off hoping to be in time to back Gaiara up, while she alerted more of my family."  
  
"Upon Gaiara's arrival at his hideout, Shakata revealed his humiliating terms for my return, demanding that she renounce her pledge with Mafelu and return to him, and also that she recant on her accounts of his ill- treatment of her so that he could find reacceptance in the herd. Gaiara's pride and affection for my sire rose within her and unable to bear the thought of the humiliation and unhappiness that renouncing Mafelu and going back to being under Shakata's thrall would bring to her, and combined with her love for me, rage and fury exploded within her upon hearing his hateful demands and at the thought that he would dare ill-treat me. She rose to strike at him in her fury, I think, and I couldn't utter a word for the fear. Shakata struck back..."  
  
"And then the others swarmed around them, and I could no longer see my mother for the tangle of legs. And then Father came...like a massy thundercloud, he saw that Mother needed help and charged in. I'll remember that scene until my last breath, my shoulder-friends. I was left unguarded in the confusion, and at that moment I heard the call of Tapiti and looked up to see other relations of my family arriving . The next few moments were pure chaos, but I managed to stumble my way to my aunt's side. She pressed me close and managed to spirit both of us out of harm's way...and when Mother and Father finally returned, having forced Shakata to flee, I ate for the first time in days. A good thing they watched me the whole time...or I might have killed myself then! The relief was almost palpable--mine too, as I was so glad to be with my family and safe again. Shakata was never seen again, but his name, deeds and the knowledge that he still most likely lives still evokes much fear and anger in my family." 


End file.
